Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a non-statutory body created for the convenience of the students seeking admission to various National Law Universities in the country under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). An entrance test is conducted to provide a list of candidates on the basis of ‘merit-cum-preference’ to each University for admission to their UG/PG programmes, as per the eligibility, reservation and other criteria laid down under the respective statutes of the participating Universities.

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), is an all India entrance examination, conducted on rotation by 17 National Law Universities (NLUs) for admissions to their Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate degree programmes. The 17 participating NLUs in the order of their year of establishment are:

National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU)

National Academy of Legal Study and Research University of Law, Hyderabad (NALSAR)

The National Law Institute University, Bhopal(NLIU)

The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (WBNUJS)

National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ)

Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur (HNLU)

Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar (GNLU)

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow (RMLNLU)

Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab (RGNUL)

Chanakya National Law University, Patna (CNLU)

The National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi (NUALS)

National Law University Odisha, Cuttack (NLUO)

National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL)

National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJAA)

Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam (DSNLU)

Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirappalli (TNNLS)

Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai (MNLU)

The first CLAT Core Committee consisting of Vice-Chancellors of seven participating NLUs decided that a common entrance test shall be conducted by all the participating universities on rotational basis in the order of their year of establishment. Accordingly, the first Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) was conducted in the year 2008. Preesently there are 17 NLUs participating in CLAT and following the policy of rotation, the ninth Common Law Admission Test (CLAT 2016) shall be conducted by Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab.